Edible Rhody KIDS: Baking Traditions

Welcome Winter! Edible Rhody KIDS is created in collaboration with Edible Rhody magazine. Grab this seasonâ€™s copy of Edible Rhody, available at various locations around Rhode Island. This seasons’ topic, “Baking Traditions”, invites kids to honor and/or create their own family food experiences. I also share one of my favorite holiday recipes handed down from my Iraqi grandmothers – Baklava.

What do you think of when you see the word â€œbakingâ€? Do certain baked goods remind you of a particular family member, time of year, a place, or a good smell?

Passing recipes from one generation to the next by baking foods together is a way to honor and celebrate your family, carrying forward traditions from the past. Don’t forget, new traditions and fun memories can be made anytime.

Welcome Winter! Edible Rhody KIDS is created in collaboration with Edible Rhody magazine. Grab this season’s copy ofÂ Edible Rhody, available at various locations around Rhode Island. This seasons’ topic, “Baking Traditions”, invites kids to honor and/or create their own family food experiences. I also share one of my favorite holiday recipes handed down from my Iraqi grandmothers – Baklava. Click on the chef’s hat for more theme-related recipe!

What do you think of when you see the word “baking”? Do certain baked goods remind you of a particular family member, time of year, a place, or a good smell?

Passing recipes from one generation to the next by baking foods together is a way to honor and celebrate your family, carrying forward traditions from the past. Don’t forget, new traditions and fun memories can be made anytime.

KingArthurFlour.com has thousands of yummy recipes, tips and even a baking hotline. We want to see what you’re baking! Email your best food photo to info@EdibleRhody.com and we’ll put it on our website.

Mama’s Baklava

Baklava is a dessert originating in the Middle East made with phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts. Passed down from my Iraqi grandmother, baking baklava has become our family tradition around the holidays. Other Middle Eastern countries have their own variations of spices, nuts and sweeteners. Some recipes include rose water.

You’ll need a large sheet pan with Â½-inch sides and a pastry brush for this recipe.

1 package phyllo dough, room temperature

1 pound walnuts (chopped fine)

2 teaspoons sugar

Â½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Â½ pound unsalted butter, melted

Syrup*

Preheat oven to 350Â°.

In a large bowl, mix together walnuts, sugar and cardamom. (Using a food processor to lightly pulse ingredients together works too!) Divide walnut mixture evenly among three separate small bowls. Remove phyllo dough from package, carefully unfold and lay on the counter. Cover dough with a sheet of plastic wrap to keep it from drying out while you assemble the baklava.

Using the pastry brush, brush 2 tablespoons melted butter over the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch rimmed sheet pan. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough evenly across the pan and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat 12 times. Spread first portion of walnut mixture evenly across the top.

Repeat layering of phyllo dough brushed with butter for 5—6 more layers of dough. Spread next portion of walnut mixture evenly over dough.

Repeat layering of phyllo dough brushed with butter for more 5—6 layers. Spread last portion of walnut mixture evenly over dough. Repeat layering of phyllo dough brushed with butter for 10—12 last layers of dough.

Have an adult help you cut the baklava evenly into 2-inch diamond shapes by cutting across the pan in two directions. Pour any remaining butter over the top.

Click on the chef's hat for more recipes!

Place in the middle rack in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Raise temperature to 425Â° to brown the baklava for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven when golden brown.

Pour prepared syrup over cooled baklava. Let rest 20 minutes. Use a spatula to remove diamond pieces and store in a tight container.

*Syrup

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cardamom

Place ingredients in a saucepan over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let cool. Use to pour over cooled baklava.

1 comment

congrats on another delicious collaboration with edible rhody! i enjoyed everything about this piece especially how it reminds us that every culture connects with something as seemingly simple as bread.

Upcoming Events

Celebrate Christmas with Cinemaworld’s first ever Winter KidFest! Free films from November 30th through December 24th! Every day at 11am, Cinemaworld will feature a Holiday G or PG rated classic for your kids to[...]

Christmas Festival of Lights New England’s most memorable holiday tradition, The Christmas Festival of Lights brings the magic to the holiday season. Every year being bigger, brighter, and better than the year before, Edaville[...]

Upcoming Events

Celebrate Christmas with Cinemaworld’s first ever Winter KidFest! Free films from November 30th through December 24th! Every day at 11am, Cinemaworld will feature a Holiday G or PG rated classic for your kids to[...]

Christmas Festival of Lights New England’s most memorable holiday tradition, The Christmas Festival of Lights brings the magic to the holiday season. Every year being bigger, brighter, and better than the year before, Edaville[...]

Join us for a book signing with Joe Broadmeadow and Jerry Tillinghast for Choices: You Make ’em You Own ’em: The Jerry Tillinghast Story. In a remarkably personal and intimate story, Jerry Tillinghast talks[...]